Note: I recently read the book One Thousand Gifts, and now I’m making my own list of one thousand gifts. As they accumulate, I’ll post them on Mondays and keep the running list on this tab, titled All is Grace.

28. the words of Isaiah 40:31 fresh on my mind as I watch a bald eagle soaring high in the winter sky

29. lively little fingers dancing across the piano keys and filling the house with joyful songs

30. tears that fell when reading page 380 — the last page — in Heidi

31. the innocence of a child who can find something nice to say about — of all creatures — a rat!

32. tiny, delicate snowflakes

33. the youthful thrill of sliding downhill on a powdery course of snow 

34. late winter days growing longer

35. an evening full of Thai food, friends and side-splitting laughter

36. a tea party with handsome and chivalrous young gentlemen  

37. thick fuzzy bath robes

38. a servant-hearted worker who shines in an unexpected place

39. long hugs in the mudroom

40. the little sister in striped pajamas reading Dr. Seuss

41. the big sister in striped pajamas helping her little sister sound out the bigger words

42. making angels in the snow

43. the way Laurel turns up her hands, shakes her hips and says she and her doll want to be “all matchy-matchy” with Heidi